A Phenomenological Study into the Impact of the 'Coming Out Process' on Young Adults.

Abstract

The aim of this piece of research is to investigate the lived experiences of young people who have gone through the process of coming out as gay or bisexual. The research shall focus on the participants' thoughts and feelings on coming out and how they conceptualised their sexuality before they came out; and on participants' thoughts and feeling on coming out and their perceptions of their own sexuality after they came out, as well as the reactions of others to their coming out. In order to gather data semi structured interviews were conducted with four participants, two gay males and two females, one who is bisexual and who identifies as a lesbian. Following the interviews, the data were subjected to a rigorous process of thematic analysis. One major finding of this research was that participants mobilised a distinct sense of intimate citizenship. Another significant finding was that through holding support from others participants were provided with a sense of validation on their sexual identity.